The present invention relates to a sealing profile for a motor vehicle.
A known sealing profile of this type is shown in German Patent No. DE 44 41 669 C1 (FIG. 4), the profile base of which is formed in the shape of a wedge and is made from cellular rubber and comprises a hollow space. The sealing portion is formed as a profile which is separate from the profile base and has its own base which is anchored in an additional receiving orifice of the bodywork part. This construction is costly to produce and assemble.
It is known per se from German Patent No. DE 44 41 667 C1 to pull the top lining around an edge of a light metal profile and to insert it with a thickened part on its longitudinal edge into a first receiving groove of an additional metallic holding rail. As shown therein, the base of a sealing profile is urged into a second receiving groove of the holding rail. Moreover, the sealing profile comprises a tubular sealing portion which is integrally formed on the base. The holding rail is then screwed to the light metal profile.
It is known per se from U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,646 to pull the folding top around an edge of a metal profile and to secure it at this site by virtue of an outer metallic trim strip. A vinyl cord is stitched into the longitudinal edge of the folding top. The edge bead produced in this manner is urged together with a base of a sealing profile into an undercut groove of the metal profile. A further incompressible vinyl cord is urged into a hollow space in the base for fixing purposes. Two tubular sealing portions of the sealing profile are integrally formed on the base.
Another known sealing profile is disclosed in JP 07290955 A. As disclosed therein, the structural part comprises on its edge lying opposite the foldable holding limb a further, fixed holding limb. The sealing profile is inserted and urged into a holding rail having a substantially xcexa9-shaped cross-section such that ultimately both holding limbs are locked in a receiving chamber of the holding profile.
It is known per se from German Patent No. DE 81 06 708 U1 to wrap the edge of a top interior covering around the edge of an inner flange portion and to fix it in this position by virtue of an attached synthetic material strip comprising a barb.
It is the object of the invention to simplify the process of producing and attaching the sealing portion.
The present invention provides a sealing profile for a motor vehicle having a profile base for attachment by insertion into a receiving orifice of a bodywork part of the vehicle and having an elastic sealing portion. The profile base includes a structural part and a holding limb which is formed as one piece with the structural part. The holding limb is formed for the purpose of engaging behind a first projection on the bodywork part and is formed in such a manner as to be able to fold in a resilient manner in the direction of the structural part. The profile base further includes a holding surface facing away from the holding limb. An edge of a fabric top of the motor vehicle lies opposite the holding surface. The holding surface extends at least approximately in parallel with an insertion direction of the profile base. A second projection on the bodywork part lies opposite the first projection at a spacing. A locking strip is attached to the side of the edge of the fabric top facing away from the holding surface. The locking strip is disposed in the receiving orifice and engages behind the second projection. The elastic sealing portion is attached to the profile base. Preferably, the sealing profile is extruded, i.e. is continuous in the longitudinal direction in all of its components. The holding surface of the profile base renders it possible for the edge of the top fabric to lie in position in a flat and secure manner and for this edge to be fixed in a correspondingly effective manner.
The locking strip can be adhered to the edge of the fabric top, and can be made of hard rubber. These features present a favourable way of attaching the locking strip to the top fabric or represent an advantageous material for the locking strip.
As an additional feature, the structural part can include at least one longitudinal rib lying against the first projection. This renders it possible to minimize movements between the sealing profile and the bodywork part.
In another feature, the profile base can be co-extruded from dense rubber and the sealing portion co-extruded from cellular rubber. Here, the sealing profile can be produced in a particularly favourable manner.